Little Red in the 21st century
by mrs.draco-malf0y
Summary: Little Red Riding Hood goes for her weekly walk through the woods to her ill grandmother's house. The woodland animals aren't there. The lush forest is dying. The wolf is hungry. Check out and follow Red and the Wolf's instagram accounts, links below: @bad but not really bad wolf @hoodredlittleriding


**_Little Red Riding Hood in the Twenty-First-Century_**

 _Once upon a time there was a seventeen-year-old girl who was admired by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. None loved her more than her sweet old grandmother. When she was a little girl her grandmother handmade a red cape that suited her so well she was given the nickname Little Red Riding Hood. Nearly 10 years on, and she goes by Red; abandoning the signature hood for a more comfortable red pull over._

 _After slowly declining with illness, Red's sweet grandmother now refuses to leave her home, relying on her family to look after her. Each week, Red takes a basket of cheese and wine through the forest to her grandmother. The forest is calm, but filled with sounds; damp, but always cool. Red enjoys the long walk through the greenery and the distinct smell of rain and oak. She is however, not the only traveller of the forest; a fact she too often forgets._

 _The Wolf lies wayward on the rock, just above the trickling stream amidst the rays of sunlight. The night was long and the morning came slow, but it is here. He ignores the impatient growl from his belly, yawning a deep breath into his large lungs. He is startled by a loud roar in the distance. Another wolf? A bear?_

 _Suddenly he is wide awake; a surge of adrenaline fills his veins. His paws make contact with the cold, wet earth as he strides faster towards the noise._

 _He stops, panting. It is a human. Two of them. Tearing down a tree with a contraption so fierce it could demolish the entire forest. The roar is so convincing even the Wolf, king of the forest, must stop with caution. He turns and heads back to the den, his nerves on edge with hunger._

 _The small pack stirs from their slumber, woken by the noise. The pack set out to hunt in the dim light of dawn._

 _The passing months have seen many changes within the hierarchy of the forest. The food chain disrupted, as its predators must change their nature in order to survive. The Wolf is beginning to notice a drastic decrease in prey; he is beyond hungry now...he is famished._

 _Red, in her comfy black yoga pants and red pull over, sets out down the beaten track paved through the heart of the forest, basket in tow. With her headphones in and music blaring she doesn't notice the gleaming orange eyes and the soft snapping of twigs as she passes._

 _The Wolf is a stealthy hunter, trailing behind Red for several miles, completely unnoticed. A deafening crack and groan cuts through the tranquil forest._

 _The Wolf stops and watches in confusion and anticipation._

 _Crashing through the trees falls the monstrous oak, well over 100 years old. The trunk thumps brashly into the earth. Red stops now, too. Yanking out her headphones, she whips her head around in horror, what was happening to her beloved forest?_

 _The Wolf seizing the opportunity, approaches her swiftly._

' _Well, well, well, if it isn't little Red, all alone and mislead. You really ought to have stayed in bed.'_

 _Red stops dead in her tracks. Wolf lurks closer with a ravenous grin._

' _Now look here, my dear, this I contest; I'd rather a deer, or a rabbit at best. But you see this isn't a matter of choice, I could have any, and I don't mean to boast._

 _Red shuffles looking over her shoulder._

' _There's no way out, not now, not ever. There used to be food but not in this weather; no trees, no life, but a rumbling murmur' he says as he runs his furry belly._

 _Red turns on her heels but freezes with Wolf's husky words._

' _Now now, little girl, you know how this ends, everyone knows we weren't destined to be friends._

 _He now begins to circle Red._

' _I not the bad guy, it's not up to me, it's all of you humans who've ruined these trees. You take and take until there's nothing left, you can't even see the mess that you've made. What's left of this forest, one glance and you'll see, there's nowhere to live and nothing left to eat. So now I will eat, a sinner I am not, reduced to eat filth instead of a fox.'_

 _His orange eyes glint with a predatory stare; Red's shriek is heard, through her last breath of air._


End file.
